Lace-clasp.



M. Wam.

LACE CLASP.

.APPLICATION FILED MM 3!- i911- Pawnted Dec. 11, 1917.

i f r a Marines minim, or srooKnoLM, swnnnn.

V LACE-CLASP.

To all whom it may concern: .1 i i Be it known thatLMAeNUs NniLn, a subject of the King of Sweden, and resident of 5a lflungsgatan, Stockholm, Sweden, have invented the following described Improvementsin Lace clasps.

The objectof the invention is to provide a 'a' simple, etlicient and inconspicuous device on'a shoe for securely holding and neatly disposing of the ends of the laces so as to e mbracingthe edge of the shoe-top atone side of the lacing opening and operating to pinch or clip the laces thereover, and also capableof use for holdinglaces" for other purposes.

- Theaccompanyingdrawings illustrate the x form of the invention at present preferred.

Figure lis a perspective view of the up- I per part of a high lace shoe with the device applied;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation on larger scale;

Fig. 8 is a large scale perspective view of the open clasp before atachment to the shoeto Fig. 4: is a vertical transverse section through the clasp and shoe-upper as on line V of Fig. 3, the lace endsbeing shown in position and the clamp member in the act of closing thereon; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the clamp closed.

These views show an ordinary boot or high lace shoe with lacing eyelets 1, lacing hooks 2, and laces 3. The preferred position of the improved lace clamp is "at the edge 5 of the shoe upper or other laced body, at one side of the lacing opening and preferably directly above, or slightly inward of, one of the rows of lacing hooks. In this position it is least conspicuous.

The stationary part of the clasp as shown comprises a flat and generally triangular plate 6 with its upper margin bent over into a hooked-shaped form constitutin what may be termed a saddle portion 7 Fig'. 3) and attached to. the rearvface of the shoeupper with said saddle portion fitted over the edge thereof. The attachment is made by means of tanks on the plate marked 8 and 9 of which the latter is desirably double-pronged and located at the inner lower corner of the plate 6 andits prongs which roject to the outside of the upper arebent i Specification of Letters Patent. Patagn'ljedl Dgmjljll, 19173,, Application filed May 31, 1917. Serial No. 171,837.

but being small and close to the edge of the upper. is unnoticeable- By reason of. the

- triangular shape of the plate and the hooked engagement of the saddle part with the shoe, two tangs such as ust described provide adequate security of attachment.

The top 12 of the saddle 7 is cut away and the longitudinal margins of the opening are bent respectively outward and lllwtl'd of the shoe, forming detent means or grips 14 and 15 which are preferably, though. not

necessarily, errated. The plate 6 is slitted to a suitable depth atthe ends of the inner grip informing a spring tongue 16, tocarry the grip lo, and whiclris glven a sllghtset inward from the plane of the plate, for the The movable member of the clasp is a channel type of clamp 17, relatively rigid in structure and hinged to the plate 6 or an extension thereof by a small rivet 19, and so as to swing in the plane of the plate, and it is adapted to be pressed down and over the grips 14 and 15 so as to cover them as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. The sides of the clamp member arelongitudinally contracted or ribbed as indicated at 18, and these ribs are designed to engage and ride over the grips or detents 14 and 15 with somewhat of a snap action. When the clamp member is raised or open the laces are drawn from the last lacing hook over the grips and tucked down inside the shoe, and the clamp is then closed upon them. The ribs 18 thereby press the laces with a rubbing action upon the grips 14 and 15 and into the teeth thereof, and the grips, yield toward each other, more or less, depending upon the thickness of the laces. Such yielding occurs in part by the metallic resilience of the plate and the spring tongue 16 and also from the compression of the material of the shoe-upper which intervenes between the grips, and some of the yield may be accommodated by the channel clamp 17 The resulting efiect is to pinch the laces at two points and retain them securely as will now be apparent. Such effect is entirely independent, within limits,

sake of resilience as presently explained.

' The slits are marked 16.

of the thickness of the laces since permanent distortion of the grips is prevented by the backing or support provided by the shoe pp What is claimed asnew is: 1. A lace clasp comprising a fixed part formed for attachment to a shoe top or like body at one side of the lacing opening, and "fa clampmember constructed to embrace theedge of the said top or body, the fixed memher and a lace placed thereover.

2, A lace-clasp comprising a plate member having-means whereby it is attachedfiat to a shoe top or like body so as to be concealed "from th exterior, and a movable channeltype clampmember movable in the plane of the shoe top into and out of embracing relation to the fixed member and adapted to "clamp a lace placed over the same.

l 4, Ina lace end clasp, the combination of a fixed member consisting of a-plate applicable flatwise to a laced body and bent at the top toi-form a'hoo'k-shaped saddle portion "fitting over the edge of said body, and aclamp pivoted to the fixed member and con- 1 structed to clamp a lace end against the saddle portion.

5. The combination in a lace end clasp of a fixed member adapted to be secured to a "laced body and formed with a spring portion backed by the material of said body and provided with detent means, and a channel clamp pivoted to swing in the general plane of the laced body and embrace the edge thereof and th spring portion in the presence of the lace, and formed to lock with said detent means to hold the clamp in looking position.

6. A lace end clasp'forlaced bodies comprising a compressible member fixed to and embracing the edge of the body, and a relatively rigid channel type clamp constructed to embrace the compressible member and a lace placed thereover.

7. A lace end clasp for shoes comprising a substantiallytriangular plate member having attachment tangs at vits corners and a saddle portion to fit over the edge of the shoe upper, in combination with means for clamping the shoe lace upon said plate member.

In testimony wherof, I have signed this specification. V,

, MAGNUS NIELL.

oepies of this patentvma y be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent 4 Washington, 1L0, 

